Does Yoga Give You Firm Buttocks or Self-Realization?

I have been practicing yoga for nearly 30 years, and even though there have been times I have had to put my practice on the back burner, what has remained constant is my LOVE of Hatha Yoga. My practice has taught me about myself and has assisted me on my journey as a human being. According to the Google website, 1 in 6 Americans practice yoga today.

The word yoga means "yoke" or "union," but union with what?

Hatha Yoga is one of eight limbs of this body of knowledge. Traditionally, Hatha, the physical branch of yoga, was a means to master the body so that one could master the mind. If our body is uncomfortable in lotus position, how will we be able to open our attention to the practice of meditation? The asanas as we know them today were not the main focus of "yoga" until the mid-1800s.

The objective of yoga is Self-Realization, not firm buttocks. The real pearl inside the oyster, the true benefit of a Hatha yoga practice, is its inherent design as a vehicle to Self-Realization. I am referring to union with "Self" as in capital "S," or "Higher Self," as distinct from ego or little "s." One of the adjunct benefits, and possibly the lowest common denominator of these yoga postures, may be firm buttocks. I say "yes!" to that. Having firm buttocks is perhaps a self-esteem enhancer. We feel good about how we look. But this system, Hatha Yoga, goes way beyond being a self-esteem enhancer.

I have identified three dimensions, steppingstones if you will, to increased self-awareness: focus, attention, and mindfulness. These may be baby steps to "Self-Realization," but they are doable.

Focus is fostered by a yoga practice. In order to execute a demanding posture such as the Standing Bow Pulling Pose (Dandayamana Dhanurasana), we must focus our attention on one spot. Our eye gaze, fixed, then becomes the forefront of all other thoughts and sensations that arise. This one-legged balance is a serious backbend. It is a beautiful form; it is balance in action. What are you thinking about while performing this posture? Certainly not your grocery list or your next professional meeting.

As new students, we are imitating the postures. As we progress, we begin to seek guidance, asking, "Am I doing this properly?" We begin to notice and appreciate how well another student is executing the posture, and we begin to compare ourselves to others. As we continue to practice, new layers of awareness arise one breath at a time. Through focus and attention, we become acquainted with the art of mindfulness in the pose. We become acquainted with the process of doing and the process of being. This is the pearl we are seeking.

For six and a half years, starting in 2000, I took class in San Francisco from Mary Jarvis. Mary is a very inspiring teacher. She is technically very knowledgeable, but the one-liners she shares during class enriched my life and point to this art of mindfulness. At some point she would remark how we have done it again. She would say, "Thank you for giving me some of that, again!" That feeling of union, peace, "at-one-ment" that yoga class provides. In the true sense, our practice is recreation, re-creation. We reset ourselves each time we practice.

Do you then leave class and forget about this mental training? Have you had the experience of leaving class feeling aglow, only to find yourself glaring at a driver that cuts you off? Our practice is about bringing yoga, union, into our daily lives. Our practice is about bringing non-judgment and peace into our world, one moment at a time.

When I teach yoga, I ask my participants to differentiate. This word means "to perceive a difference," for instance between a sunken rib cage and a lifted rib cage. Triangle posture, or Trikonasana, is a way we develop our discernment. Any wide-base posture grounds us. We take a stand and we spread our wings. We are connecting with our heart and lungs, our feelings and breath. We are reaching to what is above as well as to what is below.

The same process is possible in our daily lives through mindfulness. We are able to differentiate the subtle nuances of our attitudes toward others and ourselves. Opening our hearts allows us to take a path that has heart. We feel it. We know it.

Are you familiar with the vow of "Ahimsa"? This vow originated, as did yoga, 5,000 years ago. Simply put, the vow of Ahimsa is "harm to none." The distinction is made that this includes all sentient (feeling, e-motive) beings, even ourselves. As teachers, many of us have had the experience of students who are blatantly competitive during class. Our concern is one of safety; one can hurt herself if she pushes too hard. "Harm to none" means accepting ourselves as we are in the posture in any given moment, having enough compassion for ourselves to celebrate the fact that we are in class.

"Harm to none" is a tall order, one that requires attention, focus, and mindfulness. Asking the question, "How can I honor the light, the life force, in this person, within this situation?" helps. Ram Dass, the late ex-Harvard professor who wrote and lectured on spiritual exploration in such books as Be Here Now, Grist for the Mill, and How Can I Help, illustrated this quite well. He related the story of a woman involved in the process of spiritual awakening. She was on a New York freeway when a truck changed lanes and came dangerously close to hitting her car. She opened her window and yelled, "You, you weird expression of God, you!" Bless her for expressing her feelings in the highest manner possible in that moment. Even reacting to what felt like a life-threatening incident, she adhered to her commitment to honor the light in each person.

We learn about ourselves by simply showing up and executing the postures. I have lectured on wellness to corporations. I invite my participants to define the word "fitness." I have come to define fitness as the ability to respond to a situation, or the circumstances that make up our life, in a proactive rather than a reactive manner. Our practice assists us in being responsive rather than reactive. This "respons-ability" is required for spiritual awakening. In my mind, mindfulness is the most important gift of a regular yoga practice.

Hatha Yoga is meant to assist us in our daily lives, to make us more responsive, stronger, and more committed to our values. Through our practice we develop the ability to stay in posture. This endurance can translate into our lives. We can hang in just a little longer in difficult situations, or when life doesn't seem to be going our way. We learn how to dig down and find the focus, attention, and strength that is required.

Namaste, L. Sachs